The Last Castellan
by Grips
Summary: A story focusing on the events of the life of Ramon Salazar, from his meeting of Osmund Saddler during the castellan's childhood to the eventual infection of the entire countryside under his supervision. Rated T for violence later in the fic.
1. Chapter 1

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:

Welcome!

This is my first time delving into the realm of Resident Evil 4 fanfiction, and I started to write this story without first looking at the others in the archive. After completing chapters one and two, I noticed that writing out the events of Ramon Salazar's life isn't exactly an original idea! There appear to be a small amount of such fics on both Fanfiction dot net and DeviantArt. I would just like to note that any similarities between those fics and mine are completely coincidental, as I am holding off reading said stories until I am done mine, to avoid doing any unintentional copying or being influenced by them in any way. Because that wouldn't be very nice.

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It was a particularly bitter winter, and all love for life seemed removed from the castle grounds. In the small courtyard, the ornate fountain did little to add any beauty to the scene. Browned, pale grass grasped at the stone like bony fingers, and even the hoarsely croaking ravens on the bare tree limbs appeared chilled to the core. The sky was a pale grey, and had been for weeks.

The only splotch of colour in the desolate courtyard was the washed and pressed blue of the young boy's shirt. The castle doors shut behind him with a low rumble, and he ran down the stone stairs, his hazel eyes searching and a smile warming his delicate features. He ran about in the dead grass, oblivious to the desolation around him, calling "Ruk! Ruk!" and looking behind the trees.

Just as he was peering around the back of the fountain, a slim, elderly man slowly opened the large doors and poked his head outside with an anguished expression. The creases of worry faded as he spotted the young boy, who had done a full circle of the fountain and had still not found whomever (or whatever) he was looking for.

"Ramon!" the old man admonished, though he approached the boy at a dignified pace, smiling fondly. The little boy looked to him and giggled, running out of his reach, but his butler and only human friend knew his tricks, and scooped the delicate looking child into his arms. The looks of Ramon Salazar were deceiving, however, and he struggled wildly before the butler gave up and let him go.

"I've been looking all over for you," the man sighed, walking slowly up the stairs to the doors and opening one. He held it ajar so the little boy could run inside, and he grabbed him gently but firmly by the arm. Ramon turned to look at him curiously, as if first noticing the urgent look in his eyes.

"There's a man here to see you,"the butler said, running his hand wearily through his thin hair. "A priest, apparently, though not representing any God I'm familiar with."

Ramon's expression changed at the words of his caretaker, and the childish innocence turned to something a bit more serious. He had always been excluded from what Jacob, his butler, had referred to as "tall talk" until recently.

Jacob was starting to realize that he would no longer be able to shelter the young boy he cared for so much. The old butler got a little slower and a little more hard of hearing every day, and with the boy's parents long dead, Ramon was the last of the Salazars. He would have to learn to make choices for himself, and the butler trusted that the boy had a good heart. This was the ideal time to let him try out his authority over the castle and the surrounding lands. What harm could a simple priest do, after all?

He let Ramon go, as he now had the boy's undivided attention. The two started to walk down the ornate hallway, which was lit only by the pale light from outside filtering in through the enormous windows that lined the right side of the wall, the mahogany curtains hanging still. Jacob gave one of the portraits hung opposite the windows a brief, melancholy glance before continuing.

"He probably just wants permission to set up a church, or something of the sort. I can't see what harm it could do. The people in the villages are more than welcoming, and maybe it would give them something to do, building it and all."

Ramon took quick steps behind him. The child looked younger than he actually was; at the age of twelve he looked far closer to nine, but he was healthy and happy despite being a bit on the small side.

"But whether you say yes or no to what he has to say is all up to you, of course, my dear Ramon," Jacob added. "You're the castellan of this castle, after all." He smiled and knelt down to ruffle the boy's long, dull brown hair, and Ramon swatted his hand away and fixed his hair before the two of them entered the dining room.

Waiting patiently at the large table was a man dressed on flowing purple robes, the hood of which was thrown back to reveal slicked back brown hair and deep set eyes. He rose elegantly from his spot and bowed to Ramon, and the little boy gave a twisted, perhaps satisfied smile at the gesture.

"Please, have a seat," Ramon said with an elegance that surprised Jacob, and the strange priest did so with a nod of thanks. Ramon got into one of the chairs with a bit of difficulty and sat facing the stranger as his butler busied himself around the room, secretly listening.

"I hope you'll forgive me for visiting with no notice, but I wasn't sure how best to contact you," the priest said in a smooth voice, and when he received nothing but a patient smile from Salazar be continued. "My name is Osmund Saddler. As you may have already guessed, I've come to ask for your permission to erect a church in the nearby town. The proposal, I think, would be of interest to you. It would provide a job for the townspeople and, of course, a place to spend their time. A non-profit organization, I assure you," he said with light laughter in his voice.

The young Salazar leaned forward with interest, eliciting a warm smile from the priest. He was about to reply when the sudden sound of barking from outside caused them both to turn toward the small door at the back of the kitchen, this one leading to a much smaller and less decorated yard.

"Ruk!" Ramon cried, and was a child rather than a castellan once again. "There you are!" he said as he leaped from his seat and ran toward the door. Saddler and Jacob exchanged a knowing smile, and the priest rose and followed the boy after getting a nod of permission from the butler.

The wooden door creaked as Ramon opened it, and there before it was a wolfish puppy, who jumped at the boy's knees and yipped happily. He knelt and ran his fingers through the animal's thick fur. "I was wondering where you had gotten to," he said, then picked up a stick out of the dry, cold grass and threw it for his pet, who ran after it, barrelling over the ground. Suddenly the pup stumbled and yelped, and Ramon ran to his side. "What's wrong, boy?"

Saddler watched all of this from the door, then shut it silently behind him, maybe to avoid the cold breeze from entering the kitchen, before following Ramon into the yard.

"Is your dog hurt?" he asked softly, and Ramon jumped a bit, not having heard him approach, so pre-occupied was he with his injured friend.

"I... I think so... his leg," Ramon said quietly, indicating the rough, red scratch on the young canine's leg. The skin was torn in a manner that suggested he had been caught in something.

"Oh, the poor creature," Osmund said, looking with concern at Ruk, who tilted his head and regarded this new human with curiosity. Ramon watched without protest as the priest picked up the pup and cradled him in his arms. The young boy had immediately felt trusting toward the man, who exuded confident authority.

"I'll give him a blessing to speed his recovery," Osmund said softly, and ran his hand delicately over the animal's fur, pausing briefly over his flank.

Ramon appeared awed as man gently handed Ruk back to him, and the boy placed him back on the grass. Ruk, looking no worse for wear, ran barking toward a group of ravens who immediately took flight, squawking angrily. Ramon watched with a wide smile and even wider eyes, perhaps taking Ruk's energy as a miracle brought by the strange priest rather than the young wolf-dog's own resiliency.

"Thank you," he said, grinning at Osmund, who returned the grin with another of his warm, inviting smiles.

"No need to thank me," the priest replied. "I'm just doing my duty. I will be able to do other such things when I get my church up and running. Perhaps you could oversee the development, and if you have any objections, we can change the design more to your liking."

"What religion is it that you follow?" Ramon asked.

"We call ourselves the Los Illuminados. It may sound a bit strange, but the whole idea is more to do with, ah...unity, and acceptance, as well as healing the body and mind, than anything else."

Ramon could think of no reason to deny the man his church. He nodded eagerly.

"Of course! I give you full permission, and Ruk and I will come visit, sometime."

"You have the makings of a great castellan, Ramon Salazar," Osmund Saddler said, and bowed once again. "I will fill you in on the details as the building progresses," he continued, opening the door to the kitchen. Ruk ran inside, darting past his flowing robe.

"I must thank you once again for your hospitality," Osmund said to Jacob, who was trying to look as if he had not been eavesdropping. "I do wish I could stay longer, but there is so much work that needs to be done."

"Certainly, sir," Jacob said as he began leading him to the door, Ramon following. "It's no trouble."

They strolled toward the castle gates, which were always left open. The nearby town was peaceful and full of content and simple people, and there was nothing to fear, even at night. As they passed the last of the doors, Osmund picked up his wooden staff, which had been resting by the door frame.

"I didn't want to bring this into the castle. I use it as a bit of a walking stick and I would be loathe to track dirt everywhere."

Jacob laughed. "Ramon and Ruk do enough of that on their own," he said. The old man felt a slight prickling at the back of his neck when he noticed the symbol carved into the top of the staff. It stirred an old memory in him, but he shook off the unpleasant feeling, which was easy enough to do in the presence of the impeccably polite and caring priest.

Osmund laughed pleasantly, and gave them both a final bow before turning and heading down the path to the village beyond. "Thank you once again. I will return once things have gotten started, to make sure you approve of everything." He turned his head to give Ramon a slight wave and a smile.

"Goodbye!" Ramon called, waving back. Once the priest was out of earshot, the butler and the boy turned to head back inside. "Look, Jacob, Ruk got hurt, but Osmund did some kind of magic and healed him."

Jacob chuckled and decided to humour the boy. "Oh, did he now? Well, that was nice of him."

As Osmund Saddler headed through the leafless, dark trees, far past the main gates of the castle, a young raven, cold a weak and unable to stand her first winter, fell from a limb and lay flopping weakly on the ground. The priest passed without giving her a glance.


	2. Chapter 2

Weeks passed, and winter got worse before it got better. February showed no signs of the oncoming spring as snow fell thickly over the castle grounds and the surrounding countryside, blanketing the world in white. Most of the people in the local village were confined to their homes, huddling around the fire and living off what they had hunted and farmed the previous summer.

No one had been particularly bothered by the arrival of Osmund Saddler. Those living the the predominantly Spanish speaking village heard very little of the outside world, and liked it that way, but there was something trustworthy about the priest, something that seemed so genuinely good, that none of them had protested to him putting up a church in their small town.

Of course, with the weather, no building had begun yet, but Osmund was spending plenty of time in the room he had rented from a local farmer working on the blueprints and conversing with the mayor, a man as tall as a tree named Bitorez Mendez. Osmund and Bitorez quickly developed a kinship.

The mayor had been attacked by a desperate pack of wolves on a similarly bitter winter a little less than five years ago. The pelts of the wolves in question now decorated his living room, but Mendez had not returned from this hunting trip unscathed. The sturdy man now wore a patch over one empty eye socket, but he considered himself lucky to have survived. Osmund Saddler had solidified the mayor's trust by bringing him an expertly crafted glass eye, and now the two were often seen together, strolling through the town and looking at the empty plot of land where the church would be erected once the snow melted.

Back at the Salazar castle, Jacob had grown uneasy. While the priest who had visited them had seemed nice enough, he couldn't get the image of the insignia on his staff out of his head. For months he tried to put it out of mind, especially when Ramon would once again bring up how the mysterious man had healed his puppy (which was now growing into a large, very wolf like dog) and promised to get him out of the stuffy old castle once spring came.

And so the months passed. Winter slowly loosened its icy grip on the land, and the birds that had vanished for the season of cold now returned to sing triumphantly in the trees. Ramon grew very little, if at all, and celebrated his 13th birthday in early March. It was considered his coming of age, and he imagined himself sitting like a king and ruling over a prosperous land, but that was hard to imagine when all you had was Jacob and Ruk for company.

One day, as promised, the priest returned. With him was Bitorez Mendez. They were greeted at the castle gates by a slightly greyer Jacob, who let them in with a warm welcome and a bow.

"Thank you, sir," Osmund said with his usual graceful bow.

Bitorez nodded his enormous frame as well. "Good to see you again, Jacob."

"Likewise, my friend. Come in, come in! Ramon will be happy to see you, I'm sure."

They walked at a leisurely pace back to the castle.

"You plan on bringing him to the village to oversee the plans, now, I assume?" asked the butler.

"Yes, of course. We have the blueprints ready, but I thought it would be proper to allow the young castellan some say in what goes on before actual building begins."

Jacob nodded. "I'm afraid, however, that I don't know where he's gotten to. Probably not far, but it's hard to find someone who doesn't want to be found in a castle like this, you understand." He glanced at the priest's staff, and was glad when he laid it to rest next to the door frame as he had last time. He brought them both to the small kitchen, and brought in an especially large chair for Mendez, who took a seat.

"I'll go find him. You two relax, help yourselves to any of the food, if you wish. I don't think I'll be too long, but you never know."

"Some things never change," Bitorez said with a smile that barely curled the corners of his mouth, and Jacob chuckled at his remark and vanished through the door.

Osmund did not sit, but stood looking around the kitchen in thought. "I will go look for him, too, if you don't mind, Bitorez. I have a feeling I know where he may be."

Mendez did not question him. The priest had a way of sensing certain things in an impossible to explain way, but the mayor was a quiet, calculating man, and considered questions about such things to be silly and unnecessary. He watched in silence as Saddler exited through the small door at the back of the kitchen.

The priest stepped out into the small courtyard, which was now covered in green grass, the trees overhead budding with white apple blossoms. He walked slowly, passing through a small gate and into the trees beyond. He found Ramon, as he had sensed he would, with his companion Ruk, who appeared now as if he probably weighed more than his master.

"Osmund!" Ramon cried, and ran toward him. "You came back."

Osmund smiled. "Of course. My word is my bond. Bitorez Mendez and I have come to bring you back to the village, where you can have a look at what we have planned, as I said."

Ramon's eyes lit up, and the two of them headed back to the kitchen, chatting like old friends. Just as Saddler was swinging the wooden door open, a flustered Jacob appeared in the doorway opposite.

"Oh, of course, there he is!" he cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation, though he couldn't keep himself from smiling.

Osmund laughed. "We should head out shortly, we have much work to do. You're welcome to come along. Jacob."

The butler shook his head. "No, no. Someone needs to stay here and look after things. It's what I'm here for, after all. Just bring him back in one piece."

And so Osmund Saddler, Bitorez Mendez, and Ramon Salazar headed back to the village. They travelled by foot, since the journey wasn't a long one, though half way there the mayor suddenly scooped up the flagging castellan and set him on top of his broad shoulders.

Upon their arrival, Bitorez carried Salazar to the empty plot of land near the centre of the town. A few of the townspeople waved and greeted them, and Ramon marvelled at how respected Osmund had already become, trailing slightly behind them and walking gracefully with his staff in one hand. Bitorez set Ramon down on the ground, then left briefly. He returned moments later from a nearby house with his arms full of plans, and handed them to Osmund. The priest knelt next to Salazar and showed him an expertly drawn schematic of the future church, towering above the rest of the houses. The symbol that adorned his staff was stamped upon the door. Ramon thought it looked magnificent. That two such important men would need and value his opinion on such lofty matters made him swell with pride.

When he was shown the plans for the inside of the church, which was to be as lovely as the inside, he couldn't stop himself from blurting "It's wonderful! I can't wait to see it finished."

Saddler chucked. "Somehow, I thought you would approve."

They spent the rest of their day looking over the plans and socializing with the townspeople, and whenever he could, the young Salazar would steal a glance at Osmund Saddler in his important, expensive purple robes. He had never felt like the ruler he was until now, but even as his heartbeat quickened at the thought of how much power he really had, he couldn't help but see Saddler as an authority; perhaps the father he had never had. He decided then and there that there was no one he respected quite as much.

As the sun began to lower behind the treetops, Bitorez rose from his seat and nodded in a stiff bow to the two of them. "It is late, and I must be going now. I am glad that you approve of the plans for the church, my lord. I suspect the influence of the Illuminados will bring fortune and plenty to the countryside."

He departed then, heavy boots clunking against the wooden floor, and Ramon and Osmund spoke long into the night of their plans for the church.

"Ramon, I feel as if there is something I should tell you," Saddler said, lighting a candle on the table to give the room a bit more light.

Salazar nodded from his spot across the table, leaning forward. "Yes?"

"You've seen the healing power of the Illuminados, as well as the power it has to unify people toward a common goal. But, alas, we are not what we used to be. It grieves me to tell you this, but I believe it was so long ago that it was fallen out of the memory of you at and your butler."

"Many decades ago, the Illuminados was a strong religion with many followers in this area, but, alas, the Salazar family did not approve of us. As you probably know, they were staunch Catholics. They would not tolerate what they thought was a competing religion on their land."

Salazar could not believe his ears. He leaned forward even more, shock and guilt evident on his face as Saddler continued.

"As a final death blow to the Illuminados, the first castellan of the Salazar castle sealed the source of much of our power in the caves beneath your home. It has been kept secret there for over 200 years, but the prophets of the Illuminados tell of a day when a young castellan would rise above the sins of his forefathers and free us from oppression. I believe, now that I know you better, that the eighth Salazar is destined to be the one. I see in you a desire to do good, and none of the fear and repulsion of things that are different that your relatives must have had to so smother the wants and needs of our very souls."

"I am sorry, Osmund, truly I am, for what...!"

Saddler held up a hand calmly and smiled. "You are not to blame for the wrongdoings of all the Salazars, Ramon. You can undo the years of persecution we have suffered and be free of the sins of your family, if only you help us. We can uncover what was once lost, with your help and permission. And, in doing so, I think you would earn yourself a very prominent place in the Illuminados, should you choose it. You would truly be a force of good and tolerance, a saviour and a powerful, wise leader, if you were to help us."

"I..." Salazar spoke, and faltered. "Of course," he breathed. "Of course I will help you." His heart pounded in his chest. "What do I have to do?"

"Tomorrow, I will show you. You may stay here for the night, and I thank you for your help. As I predicted, you truly have the makings of a great leader."

Back at the castle, Jacob was sitting haunched over a desk lit by an oil lamp. His hand ran through his thin hair, as it often did when he was stressed, and he sighed. The insignia on the priest's staff had not left the dark corners of his mind, and he had wandered the castle trying to distract himself until he had finally given in and made his way to the Salazar archives. He had finally found what little info remained of the Los Illuminados.

A cult, apparently, but little details were given Something called the Las Plagas had been buried beneath the castle, to be guarded forever by the Salazar family. Not much else was written, and the butler couldn't tell whether it was a case of religious persecution, or if the Salazar's forefathers had a more legitimate reason to seal away whatever these Las Plagas were.

He was not surprised when Ramon did not return, and tried to stifle his worry. Still, his night was sleepless, and he dreamt of wolves.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning was the warmest so far that year.

Ramon awoke to the sensation of sunlight beating pleasantly against his eyelids. He rolled over away from the glare, and swung his legs over the side of the bed before opening his eyes and standing. For a brief moment he looked around the small room, confused, before remembering that he had spent the night in a small room for rent in the village. It was the first time he had slept somewhere other than his room in the castle in his memory.

Taking the small wooden chair placed for his convenience next to the bed, he pushed it close to the window, climbed atop it, and with some difficultly managed to pry the old window open, breathing deeply at the rush of fresh air. He couldn't remember ever having felt so alive, and so important.

Finding his clothes where he had left them – carefully folded atop the chest at the foot of the bed – he put them on, fixed the collar of his shirt in front of the full length mirror, and tied back his long hair before heading quietly down the stairs to the dining room. Saddler was sitting there already, in his usual robes, and he was with someone Salazar had never seen before.

Opposite him was a tall, slim man with shoulder length brown hair. He had a carefree air about him and dressed, at least to the eyes of Ramon Salazar, rather like an American, though he spoke with a distinct Spanish accent.

Ramon had reached the foot of the stairs before he was noticed by either of them. Osmund made eye contact with him and that pleasant, inviting smile tugged at his lips.

"Ah, here he is now," he said, then looked to the other man, who turned to look at Salazar and gave him a casual wave and a smile. "Salazar," Osmund continued "this is Luis Sera. He'll be assisting us today. He's a biochemist and has studied abroad, but he resides here now, not far from the village."

"Born and raised," Luis said with a smile, and nodded his head respectfully to Ramon.

Saddler's smile remained. "And this, of course, is Ramon Salazar. He's been gracious enough to allow us access to the caves beneath his castle so that we may further our research. Bitores will be coming with us as soon as he's ready, and he'll assemble some of the villagers should we need assistance."

Ramon had no idea why they would need so many people, let alone a biochemist, to aid them, but he felt he would look foolish asking questions, and merely pulled himself into a seat. Everything would be revealed all in good time, he was sure, and he was also sure that this Luis Sera would think less of him should he appear ignorant of the situation.

Luis, however, didn't seem overly concerned with keeping up an air of importance, and cooked all of them a hearty meal of bacon, eggs, and toast, waving off their protests. "It's nothing. I've had to learn to cook for myself all these years, I really don't mind." Osmund accepted his meal with quiet thanks, and Salazar, who had never cooked anything in his life and was sure he would burn the house down if he tried, also accepted it graciously.

When they were finished, they headed out into the main square, where Bitores was waiting with a group of villagers, who all looked well fed, happy, and eager to be doing something out of the ordinary.

Ramon, deciding to exercise some of his authority, began to walk in the direction of the castle, and everyone who had been leaning on walking sticks or sitting in the warm, dry grass rose to follow him. Luis, however, stepped in front of him with a slight apologetic bow. "If you'll excuse me, my lord, may I recommend another way? There is a much shorter route to where we are going."

Salazar flushed with embarrassment, and Saddler couldn't help but smirk with amusement beneath his hood. The young castellan nodded silently, tight lipped, and they turned and followed Luis in the opposite direction. Instead of following the path, they headed into the woods, though no one was particularly intimidated by them in broad daylight on a day like today. They chatted amiably, forming small groups, and Luis, seeming distinctly out of place, led them silently.

Osmund fell into step with Ramon and spoke quietly. "I wouldn't worry too much about not knowing the way," he said in a kind voice. "Luis has explored these lands since his childhood, and knows all the secrets it has to offer. I'm sure, in time, that you will too. No one thinks any less of you."

Ramon could feel his cheeks burning again, but he looked up at Osmund and smiled thankfully.

The journey was pleasant, and seemed over almost as soon as it had begun. They reached a pile of moss covered boulders, and here Luis stopped, bringing them all to a halt. Climbing through the boulders with the skill of an expert tracker, he suddenly vanished behind one. After a few moments, he stuck his head from behind it and waved for the all to follow. "Well, come on! I promise you all, it's safe!" he said with a chuckle, and vanished once again.

They all followed, echoing his laughter, and when no one was looking, Bitores lifted Salazar over a few of the larger boulders and set him down where Luis had vanished. It could only be seen from this angle, but there was actually a tunnel here, large enough for the average man to travel down with ease. Only Mendez had to bend his back slightly to fit, and they all followed Luis' lead.

"I was wondering why you had me bring these along on such a sunny day," one of the villagers said, opening the bag he had been carrying on his back and producing three torches. They were quickly lit to light their way, Luis taking one to lead them.

They travelled for what seemed to be about 20 minutes, until the space around them expanded into a large underground cave. Water could be heard dripping somewhere in the darkness. The villagers found seats on the smooth stones that were strewn about the cave floor, or leaned on the wall, resting. Luis approached Salazar and and Saddler and spoke quietly.

"We're under the castle now. There are here, and still alive. We just need to dig for them. The water keeps them alive, and the, er, bats."

Salazar looked up, and sure enough he saw the furry form of bats sleeping on the ceiling. A few flitted around here and there, disturbed by the noise and torchlight, but most only peered curiously or continued to rest high above their heads.

"Bat guano, I mean. You'd be surprised. Entire cave ecosystems can survive off of only, well, bat shit," Luis said with a smirk. He suddenly turned and clapped his hands together. "All right, my friends, lets get digging! It won't be heavy work, they should be hidden just under the light soil and beneath some of the smaller rocks. You can collect the eggs in your bags, no need to be too careful, they're not delicate, I promise you."

As the villagers started to dig under Luis' order, Salazar couldn't help but look curiously up at Saddler. "Eggs?"

"Exactly. I will explain everything now that everyone is preoccupied." He requested a torch from one of the villagers, and the two headed back down the path, out of sight and sound of the group.

"I apologize for not explaining sooner, but I feared that it would sound so extraordinary that you would not believe me, to be honest. Down here lies the key to the power of the Los Illimunados. The villagers think, for now, that they are helping Luis Sera with research into the biology of the creatures here, but in reality they are doing so much more, both for themselves and for the church. We cannot expect them to understand yet, but of course they will be told the truth in due time"

Salazar watched him speak in the flickering torchlight, eager to hear more. "Here lies a cure for human sins," Osmund continued. "In helping us you are erasing the sins of your family, and helping the villagers, and perhaps later even more people, be free from the evils of humanity. There is an organism here, the Las Plagas, as they have been dubbed, who can enter the human body and make it more powerful, clear the mind and make it more pure, and best of all, open us to a new realm of conciousness never before even imagined."

"They enter... your body?" Salazar asked in a hushed tone, eyes wide.

Osmund chuckled. "Yes, but they are hardly harmful. Think of it as a shaman using an herb to open his mind, or a poisoned man using a leech to cure him, only one hundred times more powerful and beneficial. The Las Plagas make you more than human... better than human. They give you the power to heal, and to unify...as you have seen."

"And these... Las Plagas... forgive my ignorance and the rudeness of this question, but they are safe?"

Saddler looked down at him, and Salazar felt goosebumps form on his skin as he noticed that not just the torchlight was glowing. Both of the priests eyes were shining with a red, piercing light. The castellan shrank back against the wall and slid into a sitting position, for the first time intimidated by the sight of Osmund Saddler. The priest knelt to help him up.

"Don't be afraid, Ramon," he said, extending a hand. "I have total control. I carry them, yes, and so does Luis. We are so much more than what we used to be, so much better...But we needed your permission to dig further, to harvest more...Beyond this small cave lies an entire network beneath your castle..."

Salazar shivered against the cave wall, but tentatively took Saddler's hand and stood. He ran a hand through his hair, unconsciously mimicking the nervous gesture of his butler.

"You could have this power, too, Salazar. You would never have to worry about being weak again. You would have amazing intelligence, amazing strength and vision..."

"I..." Salazar faltered, hands trembling. "This is something I must think about."

Had he not been looking down at the cave floor, he would have seen Osmund's eyes flicker with impatience.

"So be it," he said in what passed as a calm voice. "What will you do now?"

"I'm going to go outside, get some fresh air." He paced a bit. "I will return later and give you an answer. I will not hinder you in your digging, only give me time."

Saddler nodded quietly, and Salazar walked into the darkness, heading for the circle of light at the end of the tunnel.


End file.
